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The human temperature is a strange thing.

Yuuki Asuna suddenly had such a thought.

The rain had already stopped, and under that dark blue sky, with a part of the clouds dyed in orange, the

two of them walked slowly while holding hands. Beside her, Kirigaya Kazuto, who had a sullen expression

ever since he had started thinking about something several minutes ago, dropped his gaze to the brick

tile footpath without saying anything.

Asuna who lived in Setagaya and Kazuto who was going back to Kawagoe, usually separated at the

Shinjuku station as they had to take different trains, however today, for some reason, Kazuto said "I'll

drop you near your house." Even though he would have to take an hour longer to get back to his home

from Shibuya, as Kazuto had an unusual look in his eyes, Asuna nodded obediently.

As they got off the train at the Miyanosaka station on the Setagaya line, which was the station nearest to

Asuna's house, they were still holding hands.

While doing this, Asuna vaguely recalled a scene. It wasn't just sweet, but also horribly painful at the

same time, so it was a memory which normally didn't appear in her consciousness, however, it cameback occasionally whenever she held Kazuto's hands.

It wasn't a memory of the real world, but of the town of iron towers Grandum on Aincrad's 55th floor,

which no longer existed.

At that time, Asuna had served as the sub-leader of the guild Knights of the Blood. Her escort was a great

sword user named Kuradeel, who accompanied her all the time. Kuradeel, who had an abnormal burning

obsession with Asuna, had used a paralysis poison on Kazuto/Kirito, which compelled Asuna to withdraw

from the guild.

Kuradeel had killed two guild members in the process; Asuna, who got there just in time before Kirito's life

was lost, drew her rapier with fury and mercilessly, Kuradeel's HP gauge was reduced to a level where it

could have been depleted with just a final strike, but she had hesitated. Kuradeel took that chance to

retaliate however Kirito had recovered from the paralysis by then, and he finished Kuradeel off with his

bare hands.

The two then went back to the headquarters of the Knights of the Blood on the 55th floor. After informing

them about her withdrawal from the guild, they held each other's hands while walking aimlessly in

Grandum.

While she remained calm on the surface at that time, inside Asuna's chest, she had felt disappointed in

herself because she didn't kill Kuradeel. The guilt from having Kirito carry that heavy burden swirled

around her. She felt that she wasn't qualified to call herself a part of the clearing group, that she had no

right to stand beside Kirito. But, as she was suffering from these feelings, she heard a voice. Just you, Iwant to send you back to the real world no matter what.

At that moment, a strong feeling welled up within Asuna. Next time I'll protect this person with my own

hands. No, not just the next time, but every time. No matter in which world.

Asuna could vividly remember that her hand, which had felt nothing but the coldness of the air even

though they were still grasping Kirito's, at that moment, became warm as if they were sitting by a

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fireplace. After the floating castle collapsed, going through the world of fairies, and returning to the real

world, when she held his hand, she could still recall the warmth felt in her palm from that time.

Really, the human temperature is a strange thing. Even though she knew that heat was generated from

energy consumption to maintain bodily functions, the exchange of warmth from the contact of their palms

felt like it contained some information as well. Because, Asuna could understand what Kazuto, who had

been walking in silence until now, had been hesitating to say.

'A human's soul is light quanta contained within the microscopic structures of their brain cells' was what

Kazuto had said. But, that light might exist not just in the brain cells, but also in every cell in the body. The

quantum field, which was composed of those particles of fluctuating lights and produced the human form,

had connected through their palms. Perhaps that was how the warmness could be felt.

Asuna closed her eyelids gently, before whispering in her mind,

Look, it's alright, Kirito-kun. I will always guard your back. That's because we're the world's greatest

forward and backup.

Kazuto then suddenly stopped, prompting Asuna to also halt her moving feet. Her eyes widened, Is it

already seven? as the antique cast iron street lamp radiated an orange light overhead.

In this evening after the rain, no one was to be seen on the walkway aside from the two of them. Kazuto

slowly turned his head, his dark pupils fixed on Asuna.

"Asuna......"

As if he finally shook off his hesitation, he took a step forward

"......I still think about going."

Asuna, who understood the reason for his concern, smiled as she asked,

"America?"

"Yeah. I spent a year researching, and I think the Brain Implant Chip research at Santa Clara University

is the real successor of the FullDive technology. The Brain Machine Interface is probably heading toward

that direction. I really want to see it, where the next world is born."

Asuna looked straight into Kazuto's pupils before giving a deep nod.

"There were not only fun memories, but a lot of sad and painful memories too. Its purpose, that castle's

destination, you want to know about those, right?"

"......I don't think even several hundreds of years would be enough time to understand it."

Kazuto made a little smile and became silent once again.

It's certainly difficult to speak about separation. was what Asuna guessed. Without erasing her smile, she

tried to voice the answer that had always been kept warm inside of her chest however before she

could do so, Kazuto made the exact same expression he once did in Aincrad - the same one from when

he proposed marriage to her - as he said while stuttering,

"That's why...... I-I want you to go with me, Asuna. I really don't want to live without you. I know I'm saying

something unreasonable. I know that Asuna has a path Asuna wants to go. But, even so, I......"

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At that point, he cut off his words as if he was confused. Asuna's eyes widened, and she let out a light

laugh.

"Eh......?"

"S......Sorry that I laughed. But...... could it be, that was what made Kirito-kun troubled until now?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Whaaat. If it's about my answer, I had already decided upon it long ago."

Her left hand grasped her right, which was still holding Kazuto's hand. After nodding deeply again, she

told him,

"Of course, I'll go... we'll go together. If it's with you, I can go anywhere."

Kazuto's eyes opened wide as he blinked many times, and then a rare bright smile floated onto his face.

At the same time, he placed his right hand on Asuna's shoulder.

Asuna responded by tightly embracing Kazuto with both hands.

As their lips touched, the coldness immediately left their lips, replaced by a loving warmth; Asuna, once

again, sensed the exchange of information through the infinite amount of radiance that comprised each

other's souls. Even in the future, no matter in which world, no matter how long we travel, our hearts won't

be separated, about that I'm certain.

No, our hearts were actually bound a long time ago. On the sky above the collapsing Aincrad, when it

disappeared wrapped in that rainbow aurora or perhaps even far before that, the moment we met

deep within the dark labyrinth, as fellow lonely solo players.

"Anyways."

Several minutes later, as they were walking along the walkway holding hands, Asuna asked a questionthat suddenly popped into her head,

"So you think that the Soul Translator you're experimenting with isn't the successor of the FullDive

technology? The Brain Chip interfaces with brain cells at the same level as the Nerve Gear, but STL is

ahead of that, and interfaces at the quantum level, doesn't it?"

"Hmmm......"

Kazuto was diligently poking the brick using the metallic ferrule of the umbrella in his other hand as he

answered,

"......Its design concept is certainly more advanced than the Brain Chip. But, how to say it...... maybe it's

too advanced. In order to downsize that machine for practical use, it wouldn't just take a few years, but itwould require decades to do so. I have a feeling that the current STL isn't a machine made for humans to

FullDive into the virtual world with......"

"Ehh? Then what is it for?"

"Maybe it's a machine for understanding the human consciousness...... the Fluctlight."

"Hmm......"

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So you mean the STL isn't the goal, but the method? As Asuna was wondering what the understanding of

the human soul could lead to, Kazuto continued speaking,

"Besides. I think STL is his...... the extension of Heathcliff's idea. That man, for whatever reason he

created Nerve Gear, he sacrificed thousands of people, fried his own brain, and on top of that, he even

spread The Seed out into the world...... I don't know if he even had a goal in the first place, but I feel

that his presence is floating somewhere in STL. Even though I want to know what he was aiming for, I

don't want it to affect my own direction. I don't want to feel like I'm dancing on his palm."

The face of that person appeared in the back of Asuna's brain in that instant, and she nodded.

"......I see...... ......Hey, the consciousness of Guild Leader, the thought emulation program still exists

somewhere on a server, right? Like Kirito-kun mentioned before."

"Yeah, but it was just once. The machine that the guy used for suicide was the original prototype of STL.

In order to read the Fluctlight, it required a high-powered beam that was enough to fry the brain cells.

Perhaps, he had to suffer a much more intense and long continuous pain than when only the brain stem

is destroyed by the Nerve Gear...... For the purpose of making a copy of himself, I don't think it's unrelated

to what RATH is doing with STL now. Maybe somewhere in my heart I'm still thinking...... that I want tosee some kind of resolution, which is why I accepted Kikuoka's offer......"

As he said that, Kazuto's gaze turned toward the sky fading into a reddish orange. As she looked at his

face for a while, Asuna put more strength into her hand that was holding his, before whispering,

"......Promise me, just one thing. Don't do something dangerous."

Kazuto, who turned to her, gave a smile as he nodded deeply.

"Of course, I promise. As I'm going to America with Asuna next summer anyways."

"Before that, shouldn't you worry about studying to get a good score on the Scholastic Assessment Test?"

"Uu......"

Kazuto was at a loss for words momentarily, before he lightly coughed and changed the topic,

"Anyway, I need to properly greet Asuna's parents first. I have exchanged emails with Shouzou-shi from

time to time, but your mother's memory of me is quite bad......"

"No problem, no problem, recently she has become very understanding. Ah, yes...... why not just go

now?"

"Ehh!? N-No...... maybe it's better to go after the final exam, yeah."

"Really..."

They had arrived in front of a small park near Asuna's house as they talked. This was where Kazutousually said farewell before sending her off. Asuna stopped as she felt reluctant before turning around.

She looked at Kazuto's face, and his gaze was also fixed on her.

The gap between them then lessened to fifteen centimeters. Suddenly, heavy footsteps could be heard

from behind, and Asuna reflexively stepped back.

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As she turned her head, a human figure appeared jogging from the T-shaped road. It was a short man

dressed in black. His gaze stopped at Asuna and Kirito before saying "Excuse me," with a high-pitched

voice.

"Erm, do you know where the station is?"

The young man lowered his head as he asked, Asuna then pointed to the east with her left hand.

"Follow this road for a while, and turn right at the first traffic light...... then..."

Suddenly, Kazuto, who was behind, forcefully pulled back Asuna's shoulder. Then he stepped forward

while shielding Asuna behind his back.

"W-What's......"

"You...... were following us from Dicey Caf weren't you? Who are you?"

With a sharp tone, Kazuto said something that Asuna didn't even notice. She held her breath as she

looked at the man's face again.

He had an uneven tangle of long hair. The outline of his thin cheeks were densely covered by a stubblybeard. There were silver earrings on his ears, and on his neck was also a thick silver necklace. He was

wearing a discolored black T-shirt with the same colored leather pants. A metal chain hanging on his

waist made a jingling sound. His feet were wrapped in high laced boots which looked heavy in this

season, and he gave off a shabby overall impression.

The narrowed eyes gleamed from the parting in his untidy forelock, as if he was smiling. The guy frowned

and tilted his head as if he didn't understand what Kazuto was talking about then suddenly, his small

pupils shone with an unpleasant light.

"......So surprise attacks don't work, huh."

With the edge of his lips tightly bent, Asuna didn't know if he was smiling or irritated.

"Just who are you?"

Kazuto repeated his question. The man shrugged, shook his head two, three times, before he deliberately

heaved a big sigh.

"Hey, hey, that won't do, Kirito-san. Did you already forget my face...... oh, over there I wore a mask,

didn't I? But... I never forget about you for even a single day."

"You......"

Tension built up on Kazuto's back. He pulled back his right hand as he lowered his waist slightly.

"Johnny Black!"

With his low shout, Kazuto's right hand flashed like lightning and grabbed the air over his shoulder. It was

once where the Black Swordsman's beloved sword, Elucidator was.

"Bu... Ku... Kuhahahahahaha! Nope, no sword!!"

The man who was called Johnny Black twisted the upper part of his body as he spewed out a high-

pitched laugh. Kazuto lowered his right hand as his entire body remained tense.

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Asuna knew that name. It was the name of an active murderer in the old Aincrad, a well-known name

even among the red players. Belonging to the PK guild Laughing Coffin and forming a duo with Red-

eyed XaXa, who required more than ten players to capture.

............XaXa. She heard that name just half a year ago. The mastermind behind that terrible Death Gun

Incident.

She heard right after the incident that XaXa himself, Shinkawa Shouichi was arrested along with his

younger brother, but the remaining comrade was on the run. The third person, whom she thought was

caught long ago, his name was probably Kanemoto...... in other words, the man standing in front of her

was

"You...... still keep running away?"

Kazuto said in a hoarse voice. Johnny Black, Kanemoto grinned as he protruded both his index fingers.

"Of course. Did you think I'd give up after XaXa was caught? I am the last of the Laughing Coffin. I

discovered that coffee shop five months ago, and I was on the lookout nearby for a month...... every day

was filled with hatred"

As he spoke, Kanemoto inclined his head to the left and right.

"But, Kirito-san, without the sword...... you're merely a weak brat, aren't you? Even though the face is the

same, it's hard to think you're the same Swordsman-sama who beat me up so badly."

"It's the same for you...... What can you do without your proud poisoned weapons?"

"Hey, that's so unprofessional to judge an armament by its appearance."

Kanemoto moved his right hand behind his back with a snake-like speed, and pulled something off his

shirt.

It was a strange object. From the cylinder made of smooth plastic, there was a toy-like grip protruding out.

Asuna thought it was a water gun for a moment, but she held her breath as she saw Kazuto's back

became intensely stiff. Her confusion turned into fear once she heard Kazuto's voice.

"That's...... the Death Gun......!"

His right hand projected to the back, encouraging Asuna to withdraw. At the same time, he pointed the tip

of the folded umbrella in his left hand at Kanemoto.

One step, two steps, as she unconsciously moved backward, Asuna eyes were still fixed on the plastic

Gun. That was not a mere water gun, but a syringe utilizing a high-pressure gas, inside of which was

with the frightening chemical which could stop the heart.

"I have, I have the poisoned weapon I'm sorry it's not a knife though"

As he was shaking the tip of the syringe, which was its only metal part, Kanemoto made a creaking-like

laugh. Kazuto grabbed the umbrella with both his hands while directing it cautiously towards Kanemoto,

then called out in a low voice.

"Asuna, run away! Call someone for help!"

After a moment of hesitation, Asuna nodded, then turned around and started running. From behind, the

voice of Kanemoto could be heard,

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"Oi, The Flash! Make sure to let everyone know..... that the one who took the Black Swordsman's

neck, is this Johnny Black!"

The doorbell of the nearest house was about thirty meters away.

"Someone...... help!!"

As she ran and called with her utmost voice. Isn't this a mistake to leave Kazuto and run away? ......If we

both jumped on him at the same time, shouldn't we able to suppress that weapon? She passed the

halfway point as she thought so, at that time, a sound reached her ears.

Like when the cap of a carbonated drink was opened, or a can of hair spray was used; a short, sharp

compression sound. Yet, she understood its meaning right away; Asuna, overwhelmed with fear, twisted

her foot, staggered, and leaned her hand against the damp brick.

Asuna slowly turned and looked over her shoulder.

A gruesome scene entered her vision.

The shaft of the umbrella in Kazuto's hand had stabbed into the base of Kanemoto's right thigh.

And the syringe in Kanemoto hand was pushed against Kazuto's left shoulder.

Together, their bodies separated from each other, before collapsing violently onto the road.

The several minutes after that was unreal, like she was watching a black and white movie.

She ran up to the side of the unmoving body of Kazuto. She pulled Kazuto off Kanemoto, who was

holding his right leg in agony, "Hang in there," she was calling as she pulled out the mobile terminal from

her pocket and opened it.

She couldn't feel anything from her fingers, as if they were frozen. Her stiff fingertips desperately operated

the touch panel, and she reported the current location and situation to the operator of the emergencycenter, panting and out of breath.

Curious spectators gathered. Then, a policeman appeared from a crack in the crowd. Asuna just briefly

answered his questions as she kept on tightly hugging Kazuto.

Kazuto's breath was short, and shallow. Under his pained breath, he whispered two short words. "Asuna,

sorry."

The next several minutes felt like an eternity. Kazuto was brought into one of the two ambulances which

had arrived, and Asuna also boarded the same car.

As Kazuto lay unconscious on the stretcher, a paramedic put his face close to Kazuto's mouth to check

his airway, then immediately called the other rescue member,

"Respiratory failure! Give me the Ambu bag!"

To hastily support his breathing, Kazuto's mouth and nose were covered with a transparent mask.

Asuna somehow managed to suppress her urge to scream within her throat, as she informed the

paramedic about the name of the chemical she miraculously recalled,

"Erm, s-succinylcholine...... he was injected with that drug. In the left shoulder."

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The paramedic looked at her in amazement for a moment, then he gave new instructions in rapid

succession.

"IV inject epinephrine...... no, use atropine! Make sure it's IV!"

A transfusion needle was put into the left arm of Kazuto, who had his shirt taken off, the electrodes of the

ECG monitor were placed on his chest. In addition to the voices fluttering about, a siren ripped the airapart.

"Heart rate is dropping!"

"Start chest compressions!"

The face of Kazuto, with his eyelids shut, looked terribly pale under the car's internal LED light. "No... no...

Kirito-kun... not something like this..." the small voice continued to spill out of Asuna's mouth without her

noticing for a while.

"Heart stopped!"

"Keep compressing!"

Kirito-kun, it's a lie, right? You aren't going to leave me, right? You said we'll be together forever...... didn't

you say that?

Asuna dropped her gaze to the mobile terminal held firmly in her hand.

The pink heart displayed on the monitor throbbed slightly once, before it stopped pulsing.

The digital figure cruelly changed and stayed at zero, as everything became silent.

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The Third Mon th of Hum an World Calendar 378

[edit]Part 1

There were scents in the air.

My fragmented thought had sensed as such just before I woke up.

The air which was flowing into my nasal cavity contained large amounts of information. The sweet scent

of flowers. The scent of bright green grasses. The refreshing scent of trees which felt like it could cleanse

my chest. The scent of water which stimulated my thirsty throat.

As my consciousness leaned towards awareness, the flood of the sounds information surged into me.

The sound of numerous leaves rubbing against each other. The sound of small birds cheerfully twittering

away. Below them were the occasionally buzzing sounds from the insects. The faint murmuring sound of

a small river from far away.

Where am I? At least it is obviously not my room. Usually, when I wake up, there is always a sunny-like

scent of the dry sheet, the groan of the air-con, and the sound of the cars running on the Kawagoe

bypass slightly further away, but all of these aren't present. Furthermore the green light which

irregularly brushes my closed eyelids until now isn't the book light I forgot to turn off, but sunlight filtered

through the foliage, isn't it?

I pushed aside the desire to return to the deep sleep which still lingered, before finally opening my eyes.

I repeatedly blinked several times due to the sudden shot of numerous swaying beams of lights. As I

rubbed my eyes, which were blurred with tears, with the back of my right hand, I slowly raised my upper

body.

"......Where am I......?"

I unintentionally muttered.

What I saw next were green bushes. There were small white and yellow flowers at various places on

them, the shiny light blue butterflies were flying back and forth between them. About five meters away,

the carpet of grasses was cut off, from there on, was a stretch of deep forest, lined up with the huge

gnarly trees which should have aged for tens of years.

As I focused my sight to the gloomy gap between the tree trunks, the grove of trees seemed to continue

until the limit where light could reach. The rugged rippled tree bark and the ground were covered with

thick moss, shining green and gold under the sun.

I glanced to the right, then turned around, I was greeted by old tree trunks from all directions. In other

words, it seemed I was lying in a small circle of grasses in the opening of the forest. Lastly I lookedupwards, and from the gap between the gnarled tree-tops stretching in all directions, it was the blue sky

where the scattered clouds were drifting, like I had expected.

"Where is...... this place?"

I muttered again as I sighed. But there was no answer.

http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sword_Art_Online:Volume_9_Chapter_1_Part_1&action=edit&section=T-2http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sword_Art_Online:Volume_9_Chapter_1_Part_1&action=edit&section=T-2http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sword_Art_Online:Volume_9_Chapter_1_Part_1&action=edit&section=T-2http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sword_Art_Online:Volume_9_Chapter_1_Part_1&action=edit&section=T-2

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I searched every nook and corner of my head, but I couldn't find the memory of how I came to take a nap

in this place. Sleepwalking? Amnesia? As those dangerous words crossed my mind, no way, I quickly

denied it.

I am...... my name is Kirigaya Kazuto. Seventeen years old and eight months. I live at Kawagoe, Saitama

prefecture with my mother and little sister.

I felt somewhat calm as my related data came out smoothly, then I pulled out more memories.

Currently, I'm a second year high school student. But as I'd met the graduation requirement in the first

semester of next year, I was thinking about entering a university in fall. Yes, I had consulted with

someone about that. On the last Sunday of June, when it was raining. I went to Agil's shop, Dicey Caf

in Okachimachi after school, and talked to my friend Sinon, Asada Shino about Gun Gale Online.

Then, Asuna Yuuki Asuna joined up, the three of us talked for a while before leaving the shop.

"Asuna......"

I have a lover, I softly uttered a name of the girl, who was the partner I could leave my back to with full

confidence. I looked around my surroundings many times, tried to search for the figure of her, whoexisted clearly in my memory, however, I couldn't find a single human's figure on the grass floor or in the

deep forest.

While fighting with a sudden strike of loneliness, I went to retrace my memories.

Asuna and I separated from Shino after we went out of the shop. After coming out of the Tokyo Metro

Ginza Line in Shibuya, we switched to Tyoko line to go Setagaya, where Asuna's house is.

The rain had already stopped when we exited the station. As we walked side by side on the brick tile

footpath, we talked about entering the university. I spoke openly about my desire to go to the university in

America, and made an unreasonable request for Asuna to come along, at that point, she gave her usual

tenderly bright smile, and then

My memories stopped at that point.

I couldn't recall it. How did Asuna reply? How did I say farewell and return to the station? What time did I

come back home, what time did I go to bed? I couldn't recall any of those.

As I was slightly amazed, I desperately tried to pull out more memories.

However, Asuna's smile just faded away like it was blurred in the water, the scene after that didn't come

out no matter how hard I tried to recall it. I frowned as I closed my eyes, and hastily dug up the gloomy

grey vacuum.

I was suffocating as if I was going mad.

Those were just two images that came to mind, like small bubbles. Unintentionally, I inhaled the sweet air

deeply into my chest. And I strongly sensed my dry throat, which I had forgotten about until now.

There is no doubt about it, yesterday evening I was definitely at Miyasaka town in Setagaya ward. Then

how did I end up sleeping in the middle of a forest I don't know?

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No, was it really yesterday? The breeze which is brushing against my skin feels cool and pleasant. This

forest doesn't have the slightest bit of the humidity at the end of June. This time, a genuine fear ran

through my back.

The Yesterday's memory, which I'm desperately clinging onto as if it were a small float floating in the

middle of a stormy sea, did it really happen? Am I... really who I think I am......?

After caressing my face and pulling at my hair several times, I lowered my hands and looked at its details.

I calmed down slightly as they looked just like what I had in my memories, there was a mole at the base

of the right thumb, the back of the left middle finger had a scar which I got during childhood.

At that point, I finally noticed my strange appearance.

Replacing my usual pajamas wasn't a T-shirt nor a school uniform, no, it wasn't even anything I owned.

On the contrary, no matter how I looked at it, I didn't think it was ready-made clothes available in the

market.

The tunic was dyed in a pale blue, it was either a rough cotton or flax short sleeved shirt. Its texture was

irregular, which gave a coarse feeling. The thread sewed on the cuffs seemed to be hand-sewn rather

than machine sewed. There was no collar, the V shape cut on the chest was tied with a light brown cord.

As I looked at the cord held by my fingers, I could see that it wasn't made of braided fiber, but seemed to

be of finely cut leather.

The trousers also used the same material, but they were in beige as they seemed to be unbleached.

There was no pocket, the leather belt which tied my waist wasn't fastened with a metal buckle, but a long

and narrow wooden button. The shoes were also hand-sewn leather, several tacks were struck to the

cleats of thick leather shoe sole.

I had never seen such clothes and shoes before. In the real world, that was.

"......What."

I relaxed my shoulders, as I muttered with a light sigh.

Even though they were completely different, at the same time, they were the garments that looked

familiar. From Europe during the Middle Ages, or it could be said from fantasy, these were what were the

so-called tunic, cotton pants, and leather shoes. This place wasn't reality but a fantasy world, or a virtual

world I was familiar with.

"What......"

I said again as I tilted my head.

This means I was sleeping while FullDiving? But when and what game did I log in to? Why can't I

remember anything?

Anyway, I'll know after I logged out, as I thought that, I waved my right hand.

After a several seconds, the window wouldn't open, so this time I waved my left hand. The result was the

same.

As I listened to the uninterrupted sound of little birds twittering and leaves rubbing against each other, I

recklessly tried to shake off a discomforting feeling which was creeping up from my waist.

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This place is a virtual world. It should be. But at least it isn't Alfheim I'm familiar with. Before that, it

isn't even the standard VR world which is created by The Seed.

But didn't I just confirm the mole and scar I have in the real world? A VR game which could precisely

reproduce such things, as far as I know, doesn't exist.

"Command. ......Log out."

I pronounced it along with a faint glimmer of hope, but there was no response. As I sat cross-legged, I

looked at my hand again.

There were swirled fingerprints on the tip of my fingers. There were wrinkles at the joints. The fine soft

hairs grew thinly. The beads of cold sweat had been perspiring for a while now.

I wiped them off using my tunic, and checked the details of the fabric again. The rough threads were knit

into the cloth using an old method. The fluffy and very fine fiber was clearly visible on the surface.

If this was a virtual world, the machine which created it would have a fearfully high performance. As I set

my gaze on the grove of trees up ahead, I quickly tore a blade of grass with my right arm and held it in

front of my eyes.

The Seed's standard VR world, which used Detail Focusing technique, wouldn't be able to keep up with

my sudden movement, a slight time lag would occur before I could see the fine detailed texture of the

grass. However, from the thin running vein and the jagged edge, until the water droplet dripped off the slit,

all were presented in ultra-fine detail the moment I stared at it.

It means the objects which entered my vision is generated in real-time with a precision of millimeters.

Then the capacity needed to store this single grass would be in several tens of megabytes. Is something

like that really possible?

I don't want to pursue this anymore, I suppressed such thoughts within my mind as I pushed the grass

between my feet aside and started digging the ground using my right hand in place of a shovel.

The damp black soil was surprisingly soft, the entangled small grassroots entered my eyes immediately. I

saw a wriggling movement between the tangle of roots and gently picked it up with my fingertips.

It was a small earthworm, about three centimeters long. The lustrous green creature, which was pulled

out from its safe haven, was struggling recklessly. Is this a new species? right as I thought that, it raised

one end of the tip, which apparently was its head, and made a small Kyu kyu cry. While I was feeling

dizzy, I returned it to the top of the dug up soil. I then looked at my right hand, my palm was covered in

black dirt, the gaps of my fingernails were full of the fine soil.

I was absentminded for several tens of seconds, then, while being reluctant, I came up with three

hypotheses which could sufficiently explain the current situation.

First, it is possible that this place is a virtual world created by an extension of the current FullDive

technology. The situation in which I woke up in the middle of the forest, is a standard fantasy RPG

starting scene.

However, in that case, no matter what kind of supercomputer I know, none of them had enough capability

to generate these ultra-fine detailed 3D objects. It could be said that I have lost part of my memories and

the time in reality had already passed by several years, or several tens of years.

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Next, the possibility that this place could be somewhere in the real world. It means I am the subject of a

crime, an illegal experiment, or a terrible prank, someone dressed me up in these clothes and threw me

out in the forest somewhere from this weather it could be Hokkaid, or perhaps somewhere on the

southern hemisphere. However, I don't think Japan has a species of metallic green earthworms which

could cry 'kyu kyu', or even any country in the whole world.

Then the last hypothesis, this place could possibly be a real different dimension, a different world, or

perhaps an afterlife world. It is a familiar event which occurs in manga, novels, and anime. According to

the dramaturgy of those, after this I would save a girl from monster's attack, listen to village chief's

request to become the savior hero, and fight against the devil king. But there is no Steel sword at my

waist.

I held my belly as I was attacked by a sudden desire to burst out laughing, after I somehow managed to

let it pass, I decided to exclude the third possibility as out of the question as well. As I lost sight of the

border between the reality and non-reality, I felt as if I was starting to lose my sanity as well.

After all is this a virtual world? Or is it the real world?

If it's the former, no matter how super real the world is, it's not difficult to confirm. I just have to climb tothe top of a nearby tree and jump down head-first. If I was logged out, or resurrected at a save point in a

temple somewhere, then it would be a virtual world.

But if this is a real world, the worst result will come out from that experiment. In a novel I read long ago, a

certain criminal organization, in order to film a real death game, abducted about ten people and left them

to kill each other in an uninhabited wilderness. Even though such thing would be unthinkable to happen in

reality, the same abnormal event that was the SAO incident had occurred. If this is really a game set up

on a stage in the real world, I don't think committing suicide right at the start is a good choice.

"......If it's something like that, they still haven't done that yet......"

I unconsciously said that out. At least Kayaba Akihito still carried out his minimal duty, explaining finedetails at the start of the game.

I looked up into sky through the treetops before speaking again,

"Oi, GM-san! If you're listening then reply to me!!"

However, no matter how long I waited, a huge face or a hooded human figure didn't appear. At that point,

I started checking the surrounding bushes again before searching through my clothes for something that

could be a rule book, but I couldn't find anything.

Apparently, whoever threw me out in this place has no intention to respond to my call for help. This

situation, if it's not accidental then... but...

As I listened to the birds' carefree twittering, I recklessly thought about what to do after this point.

If this is an accident in reality, I have a hunch that moving around carelessly isn't a good idea. It could be

possible that currently, a rescue team is already on its way.

But, what is the reason that this kind of accident happened in the first place?

If forcibly straining to get one, it could possibly be, trouble happened to the vehicle I was boarding during

traveling be it a plane or a car, and I fell unconscious in this forest, the shock made me lose

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memories of the events that occurred before and after it. But that can't explain these strange clothes, and

there are no scratches on my body either.

Or, an accident happened during my Dive in a virtual world, something like that is also possible. An

obstacle occurred along the communication route and caused me to log into a world which was not

originally connected. But in this case, there is no explanation for these high-detail objects.

Also, if assuming that it is a situation designed by someones intention. Then it would be better to think

that as long as I didn't take any action, the situation wouldn't change.

"Just which one is it......"

Is this reality? Or is it VR world? There must be a method to identify it, I thought that as I muttered.

There must be a way. A virtual world which approaches perfection until one couldn't be able to distinguish

it from reality, although it is a commonly used phrase, I don't think it is possible to recreate everything in

the real world with a hundred percent precision.

It was close to five minutes that I sat on the short grass thinking about various things. However, I couldn't

find any feasible ideas for the current situation. If I had a microscope, I could search for the existence ofmicroorganism on the ground, or if I had a plane, I could be able to fly to the edge of the surface.

However, sadly, with only the hands and feet that I had, digging the ground was the best I could do.

At a time like this, if it's Asuna, she's sure to have a way to identify this world which I didn't think of, I let

out a short sigh as I thought that. Or if it was her, she wouldn't be sitting worrying like this, but quickly

taking action.

I bit my lips as hopelessness struck me again.

I was surprised that I was at this much of a loss just because it wasn't possible to contact Asuna, but I

also accepted this fact. As during this past two years, I discussed almost all my decisions with her. Now,

without Asuna's thinking circuit, my brain was like a CPU with half of its core disabled.

It feels like only yesterday that I enjoyed talking with her at Agil's shop for several hours. If I knew this

would happen, I wouldn't talk about RATH or STL, but about how to distinguish reality from the ultra-

precise virtual wor......

"Ah......"

I inadvertently raised my body. The ambient sound rapidly receded.

So that is it, and I didn't realize it until now.

Didn't I already know about it? The existence of something far beyond the FullDive machine, a technology

that could be said to be able to create a VR world with a super-real quality. It means this world is......

"Inside of Soul Translator......? Is this place... Underworld......?"

There was no response to what I muttered as I unconsciously looked around my surroundings in

confusion.

The forest of gnarled old trees I could only think of as the real thing. The swaying grasses. The flying

butterflies.

"These are...... a man-made dream written directly into my Fluctlight......?"

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On the first day I started the part-time job at the venture company, RATH; the researcher and operator,

Higa Takeru-shi, proudly explained to me the rough structure of STL and how real the world it could

create was.

And I realized by the Test Dive soon after, that his words weren't an exaggeration at all however,

what I saw at that time was just one room. Although the table, chair and various small things placed there

were hard to distinguish from the real thing, the room itself couldn't be called a World.

However, the size of the forest which surrounds me now, perhaps it would be several kilometers in reality.

No, if the ridge of the mountain range that faintly floated beyond the trees was the real thing, then the size

of this space would be at a level of several tens or several hundreds of kilometers.

Trying to create this using the existing technology, even using all the storage available on the internet

wouldn't be enough to fit all the data required. Only a totally new technology...... such as the Mnemonic

Visual of STL, would allow not only a scene that was impossible in reality, but permit this large amount

of objects, I totally didn't imagine it.

Then, if my guess that this place was Underworld, the virtual world created by STL, was correct, it would

be impossible to verify it no matter what action was used inside.

That was because every object existed here, no, every 'thing' here were at the same level as the real

thing in my consciousness. No matter how many grass I tore, the same information as if I did it in the real

world would be given to my consciousness my Fluctlight, so it was not theoretically possible to verify

that it was a virtual existence, absolutely.

So, if STL is going for commercial use, a marker to help in identifying that it's a virtual world is absolutely

needed...... I stood up as I thought that.

Although I still haven't obtained solid proof, it's better to think that this place is the Underworld. It means

currently in the real world, I'm lying inside the STL experimental machine in RATH's Roppongi

development office, doing a two thousand yen per hour part-time job.

"But...... isn't it strange......?"

After a brief moment of relief, I tilted my head again.

The operator, Higa certainly said that in order to prevent the contamination to the test data, the real world

memories of Kirigaya Kazuto would have to be blocked. But currently, what I can't recall is just one day,

from sending Asuna off until I go into STL at RATH the next day, it's far from saying blocked.

Also yes, since the final test is approaching, didn't I decide to quit this part-time job to have time for

studying? I don't think I'm a person who easily breaks my promise with Asuna after one day because of a

good hourly wage.

Moreover, from this situation, even though this is STL's test Dive, it's no doubt that some problem had

occurred. I looked into the blue sky between the gaps in the treetops and shouted in a loud voice,

"Higa-san, if you're monitoring, stop the Dive for a moment! Looks like a problem has occurred!"

I stood like that, waiting for more than ten seconds.

However, the countless leaves continued swaying under the serene sunlight, the butterflies continued

flapping their wings drowsily, there was no change to the scenery.

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"......Uu......perhaps, this is......"

I groaned in a low voice to a certain possibility I suddenly realized.

Perhaps I have agreed to this experiment is that the case?

In other words, in order to obtain data about the action I would take if I was in a place where I couldn't be

sure if I was in reality or a virtual world, they blocked my memory right before the Dive and threw me into

a super real different world created by STL.

If that was the case, I felt like slapping my head who had easily agreed to that evil experiment. It wouldn't

be wrong to say that it was shallow to think that I could effortlessly come up with an accurate and swift

way to escape from this situation.

I counted the percentage of possibilities which could sufficiently explain the current situation as I folded

the fingers on my right hand.

"Hmm...... the possibility of this being reality is... 3 percent. The present VR world... 7 percent. My

agreement to test Dive in STL... 20 percent. A sudden accident during the Dive... 69.9999 percent......"

In my mind, I added the final 0.0001 percent possibility that I had lost into a real different world. And that

was the limit I could squeeze out of my little wisdom. In order to obtain more information, I would have to

brave the dangers and try to contact other humans or game players or test Divers.

So it was time to take action.

First, I want to moisten my dry throat which has protested up until now. I turned my body around on the

center of the grass covered ground I was standing on. The direction where a faint streaming sound came

from, judging by the sun's location, would probably be the east.

Before I started moving, my right hand searched my back again, of course there was not a single stick

there, let alone a sword. I kicked the hopelessness away as I put my right foot out, it was just in ten steps

that I reached the end of the grass covered ground. I passed through the two old trees which rose as ifthey were natural gateposts, and stepped into the gloomy forest.

The forest floor was covered in a velvet-like thick moss, the space felt suspiciously strange. The leaves of

overgrown trees obstructed almost all sunlight, it was just narrow beams of golden light that managed to

reach the ground. The butterflies dancing over the grass were replaced with strange beetles which looked

like dragonflies or moths, they glided soundlessly in the air. Occasionally, a sound of something from

somewhere reached my ears. It was a scene I didn't think could be earth in the real world.

I walked for about fifteen minutes while praying that a hostile large animal or monster would not venture

out. I felt greatly relieved when the path that had a deluge of sunlight came into view. As the sound of

water became clear, I was certain that up ahead would be a river. I naturally quickened my feet while

suppressing my dry throat.

The moment I rushed out of the dense forest, separated by a three meter wide area of grass, was the

surface of water, in which the silver light of the sun bounced off and entered my eyes.

"W-Water"

With a miserable groan, I unsteadily walked along the final distance, before throwing my body down onto

the soft undergrowth riverside.

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"Uo......"

I unintentionally raised a sound once I laid on my stomach.

What a beautiful stream. The river wasn't wide, as I slowly crawled, I could see the stunning transparency

of the water current. Like a drop of blue paint hanging on pure lack of color, I could clearly see white

sands of the riverbed through the extremely clear mountain stream.

Up until several seconds ago, with the remaining small possibility that this place was the real world, I

would have to consider the dangers of drinking unboiled water. However, watching the stream which

looked as if it was from melted crystals, unable to resist the temptation, my right hand plunged into the

river's surface. With a high-pitched sound as if it was cutting the cold water, my right hand poured the

liquid into my mouth.

Could this be called sweet? I couldn't feel any impurities at all, the faint sweet and fresh taste of water

made me no longer want to buy mineral water from convenience stores ever again. After using both

hands to dip in the water in rapid succession, I finally put my mouth into the water surface.

While thinking that this was exactly the taste of the water of life, in the corner of my mind, the possibility

that this place was a virtual world created from the current FullDive machine was completely eliminated.

That was because, for the most recent machine now namely, the AmuSphere, it was impossible to

recreate liquid to this perfection. A polygon was an infinite number of coordinates forming a leveled

surface before connecting to each other to create an object, it wasn't suitable to reproduce the

randomness and complicated shape of water. However, the state of water swaying in my hands, spilling,

and flowing down had no trace of artificiality in it at all.

I also want to drop the possibility that this is the real world while thinking so, I raised my body and

looked around again. Such a clean river, the fantastic forest that continues along the opposite bank, and

those vividly colored small animals, I don't think exist anywhere on earth. In general, isn't nature the thing

that if touched by human hands will become a harsh environment? Also, is there any reason that I haveyet to be bitten by an insect, even though I wandered around for a while dressed lightly like this?

As I thought this, I had a feeling that the STL would summon a large horde of poisonous insects, I

stood up while shaking that thought off. After I readjusted the possibility of this place being the real world

down to one percent, Now, I looked to my left and right.

The flow of the river drew a gradual curve from the north to the south. The end of both directions were

swallowed by groups of big trees. However, from its cleanliness, coolness, and width, I thought the

source of the river should be quite close. If that was the case, the possibility of houses or towns existing

downstream should be high.

It'd be easy if I had a boat... I thought as I started to walk downstream at that time,

The breeze that changed direction slightly carried an odd sound into my ears.

Something hard, either a big tree or something similar was struck, that kind of sound. It wasn't just once. I

listened to the regular paced sound that had about a four second interval.

It isn't from an animal nor a natural source. It's almost certainly a man-made sound. It should be the

sound of someone cutting a tree in this forest. But trying to approach might be dangerous, I made a bitter

smile after thinking for a moment. This isn't an MMORPG world where fighting and killing is

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recommended anyway. Getting into contact with other people and obtaining information is currently the

option at top priority.

I made a half circle turn toward the upstream of the river, where the dry echoes came from.

Suddenly, I had a feeling that I saw a strange scene.

On the right was a rippling surface of a river. A dense and deep forest on the left. In front was a green

path extending to somewhere.

There, three children were walking side by side. Between a black haired boy and a light brown haired

boy, a girl wearing a straw hat had her long golden hair swaying dazzlingly. Under the full mid summer

sunlight, the gold radiance scattered freely.

Is this memory......?

Far away, the days which wouldn't return. The eternal trust they vowed to do everything to protect, but

like ice dropped into sunlight, abruptly vanishing

Those nostalgic days.

[edit]Part 2

Just as I blinked once, the illusory scene abruptly disappeared, just like when it had appeared.

http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sword_Art_Online:Volume_9_Chapter_1_Part_2&action=edit&section=T-1http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sword_Art_Online:Volume_9_Chapter_1_Part_2&action=edit&section=T-1http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sword_Art_Online:Volume_9_Chapter_1_Part_2&action=edit&section=T-1http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=File:Sword_Art_Online_Vol_09_-_210-211.jpghttp://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sword_Art_Online:Volume_9_Chapter_1_Part_2&action=edit&section=T-1

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What was that just now? Even though the illusion had already disappeared, the overflowing feeling of

nostalgia wouldn't leave, the middle of my chest felt tight and painful.

A childhood memory I had a strong feeling when I saw the back of the three children walking along

the river bank. The black haired boy walking on the right, wasn't that me?

But such a thing can't be possible. As there are no deep forests nor that clear river in Kawagoe, where Ilive, and I never had friends with those hair colors either. And before that, all three children were wearing

the same fantasy clothes I'm wearing too.

If this is inside the STL, the illusion just now is the memory from the continuous Diving on the first

weekend? But even thinking of it that way, due to the STL's Fluctlight Acceleration function, I should have

been inside for ten days at most. Such a short time wouldn't be able to cause that throbbing pain in the

chest from nostalgia like just now.

The situation seemed to proceed further and further into an inexplicable direction.Am I really who I

thought I am? as such doubt returned to me, I fearfully looked into the surface of the river beside me,

however, I couldn't see the difference as the face reflected off the undulated stream was distorted.

As I tried to forget the prickly pain of the remaining memory for now, the continuous sound that reached

my ears became clear. When I tried to listen to it again, this sound also made me feel nostalgic, but I

didn't know if I had heard this sound of wood being cut before. I shook my head slightly before starting to

walk upstream again.

While I was moving both feet single-mindedly, I had a chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery once more,

then I noticed that my direction had veered off to the left. Apparently, the source of the sound wasn't from

the river bank, but seemed to be a place slightly deeper inside the forest on my left.

The strange sound I tried to count on my fingers didn't continue to echo constantly. It repeated for exactly

fifty times, then was followed by a gap of about three minutes, before resuming another fifty times. Finally

I was certain that it could be nothing but a human-made sound.

During the three minutes of silence, I walked in the general direction of the sound, then made some minor

adjustments when the sound resumed. I had already separated from the river bank and returned to within

the forest. I proceeded silently as I reunited with the strange dragonflies, the blue lizards and the giant

mushrooms.

"......Forty-nine, ......fifty..."

An unaware low voice counted at the exact same time as the fiftieth strike had ended, it was then I

noticed that the gap in the grove of the trees up ahead became brighter. So that's the forest exit? Or it

could possibly be a village. I quickened my feet toward the light.

I clambered over the tree roots which were raised up like stairs and when my face came out of theshadow of the old tree trunk, in front of my eyes was a scene that could be said to be unbelievable.

Although the forest ended right there, there was no village. However I didn't have time to feel

disappointed, as I absentmindedly stared with my mouth open.

It was a circular open glade in the forest. It was certainly wider than the place I woke up a while ago. The

diameter should be about thirty meters. Also, the ground which was covered in green and golden moss

was different from the forest I had walked past, there were no ferns, vines, nor short shrubs at all.

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Then, at the center of the clearing, my gaze was fixed on something that rose up high.

What a huge tree!

Estimating with my eyes, its diameter shouldn't be less than four meters. The trees I saw until now in this

forest were all broadleaf trees with rugged and gnarled trunks, but the huge tree stretched high up in front

of my eyes was a needle-leaved tree. Its bark was of a dark color close to black, and upon looking up, Icould see that its branches spread out over each other high up into the sky. While I thought the Jomon

cedar in Yakushima and the sequoia cedar in America I saw from images and videos were huge, I didn't

think the overwhelming presence of this tree could be something in the realm of nature, and I felt that it

emanated the presence of an emperor.

My gaze went from the top part, which completely obstructed the view above it, back to its base. I noticed

the roots that were like big snakes wriggling about spread like a mesh in all direction, barely reaching the

forest boundary where I stood. Or rather, as this tree had absorbed all the fertility, no other plant but moss

could grow, resulting in the large clearing in the middle of the forest.

Thinking about intruding into the garden of the emperor made me waver slightly, but the temptation to

touch the trunk of the great tree led my feet forward. Although I tripped several times due to themeandering roots below the moss, it didn't stop me from looking up above my head, I slowly proceeded.

I, who was approaching the trunk of the great tree while sighing many times in admiration, had completely

forgotten to be cautious about the surroundings. As a result, it was already too late by the time I realized

it.

"!?"

My line of sight, which suddenly returned to looking straight ahead, met the face of someone whose

pupils were watching me from behind the tree trunk. I swallowed my breath. Being startled, I retreated

half a step before falling to the ground. My right hand was about to take something from my back, but of

course, there was no sword.

Fortunately, it seemed the first person I met in this world didn't show hostility nor caution, just tilting his

head in wonder.

His age should be the same as mine I looked at the boy, aged around seventeen, or eighteen. His

soft-looking ash brown hair was slightly wavy. His clothes were the same unbleached short sleeved tunic

and trousers as mine. He used the roots of the tree as a bench to sit on, and in his right hand was

something round.

What was strange was his appearances. Although his skin was cream colored, he couldn't be considered

a westerner and at the same time, he couldn't be an easterner either. I looked at the dark green eyes on

his thin and tender features.

The moment I saw his face, my head...... the insides of my soul felt a throbbing pain. However, that

feeling vanished as soon as I tried to catch it. I patiently tried to forget it, as for now, I opened my mouth

to declare that I had no hostility against him. But, what should I say? And before that, what language

should I use? I had no idea at all. As I opened and closed my mouth repeatedly like an idiot, the boy

spoke first,

"Who are you? Where did you come from?"

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That slightly foreign intonation was in perfect Japanese.

I received the same shock as when I first looked at the jet black great tree, and became absentminded for

a while. In this place, which no matter how I looked, wasn't Japan, hearing my native language in this

different world was something I didn't expect at all. Once I got used to hearing the words flowing out of

the mouth of this boy, who was wearing exotic clothes akin to western Europe during the Middle Ages, it

felt like non-reality, as if I had jumped into a dubbed western film.

However, this was not a situation I could become engrossed in. This was where I practiced thinking. I

began to desperately rotate my brain, which I felt had become rusty these days.

Assuming this world is a virtual world created by STL, in other words, Underworld. The boy in front of

me is either,a test player during the Dive, and possesses the real world memories just like me, a

test player but his memories were restricted, becoming a resident of this world, oran NPC being

operated by the program.

If it's the first then it'd be quick. Just explain my strange situation to him and ask him for a way to log out.

But if it's the second or third, the situation won't be that easy. Toward the human that acts as an

inhabitant of Underworld or an NPC, if I suddenly said something he couldn't understand like Soul

Translator's abnormality or a way to log out, it might cause an intense cautiousness which will make

gathering information later on become difficult.

So, it's necessary to choose some safe words to talk to this boy and assert his position. As I secretly

wiped the cold sweat off my palm using my trousers, I put on a smiling face and opened my mouth,

"Umm...... my name is......"

I hesitated for a moment. Japanese style or western style, what is the common way used in this world? I

then gave my name while praying that it would be suitable for both ways,

"Kirito. I came from over there, but at the moment I'm a bit lost......"

As I spoke, I pointed at a direction behind me, probably to the south, and the boy looked at me in

surprise. After placing the round object in his right hand down, he stood up with an agile movement, then

pointed in the same direction as me.

"There...... the southern forest? Are you from Zakkaria?"

"N-No... it's not like that."

My face became stiff at the sudden dilemma, but I managed to answer,

"That, erm...... I also don't know where I came from...... I found myself collapsed in the middle of the forest

when I woke up......"

'Oh, is something wrong with STL? Just wait for a sec, I'll connect to the operator.' was a reply I had

expected from the bottom of my heart, however, the boy still looked surprised, he asked while still gazing

at my face,

"Hmm...... don't know where you come from...... what about the town you were living in up until now......?"

"A-Ah...... I can't remember. The only thing I know is my name......"

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"......That's a surprise...... The Vector's Prank, huh. Even though I've heard about it before...... but this is

the first time I have actually seen it."

"V-Vector... prank......?"

"Eh, you've never heard about it from your hometown? It's what my village calls a person who one day

suddenly disappears, then later on, suddenly appears in the forest or the field. The god of darknessVector loves to play pranks on humans by kidnapping them, pulling out their memories before throwing

them out in a faraway land. Longgg ago, an old woman in my village disappeared."

"H-Heh...... Then it's possible that I'm also like that......"

My situation is getting more suspicious, I nodded as I thought so. The boy in front of me no longer

seemed to be a test player who was role playing. As my emotion was driven up the wall, I started saying

something a little more dangerous,

"Also...... there's some trouble, and I want to get out of here once. But... I don't know how to do so......"

I desperately prayed that this would make him understand the situation, the sympathy showed in the

boy's green eyes as he nodded while saying,

"Yeah, not knowing the way, it's natural to get lost in this deep forest. But it's alright, if you go north from

here, you will find a road."

"N-No... erm......"

Well, just do it then, I said out the main keyword,

"......I want to log out."

To the word I bet my ray of hope on, the boy tilted his head before asking,

"Log...... what was it? What do you mean?"

It seems it's confirmed by this.

He is either a test player that is a pure inhabitant without any idea about this being the Virtual world, or

an NPC. While I was careful not to let my disappointment show on my face, I somehow added on a few

words to deceive him,

"S-Sorry, it seems I used the wrong wording for this region. Hmm...... I mean is there a village or a town

somewhere I could stay in."

It was painful for me to say it. The boy then nodded in appreciation.

"Heh...... It's the first time I heard such a word. Your black hair is also unusual around here...... it could be

possible that you were born in the south."

"Y-Yeah, that may be so."

I gave a stiff smile as I looked at the boy who was smiling without any ill will, then, he frowned in pity.

"Hmmm, a place to stay. Although my village is just to the north, as there are no travellers around here,

there is no inn. But...... if you explained your circumstances, perhaps Sister Azariya would help you and

let you stay in the church."

"I-Is that so, that's great."

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Those were my true feelings. If there was a village, it could be possible that there might be staff from

RATH Diving in, or they might be monitoring the village from the outside.

"Then I'll go to the village. Is it directly north from here?"

My gaze moved towards the almost opposite direction to where I had came from and there I saw a narrow

path stretched out before me. However, before my feet could start moving, the boy made a gesture usinghis left hand to stop me.

"Ah, wait a bit. There are guards at the village, it might be difficult to explain if you suddenly went there

alone. I'll go with you and help explain the circumstances."

"That would help a lot, thank you."

I smiled as I thanked him, at the same time, muttered in my mind,Apparently you're not an NPC. Your

replies are too natural for the pseudo-personality program which can only act on the preset responses,

and the active action toward me just now also wasn't NPC-like.

Although I don't know whether he Dives from the development office in Roppongi, or from the main office

somewhere in the bay area, the owner of the Fluctlight which moved the boy in front of me has a reallykind personality. As soon as I escape safely, I want to thank him properly.

As I was thinking about this, the boy made a gloomy face again.

"Ah...... but, I still can't go right now though...... As I'm still working......"

"Work?"

"Yeah. I'm on a break now."

I moved my gaze to something wrapped with cloth beside the boy's feet, two items of which one seemed

to be a portion of round bread could be seen, So that's what he held at first. while the other object was

just a water canteen made from leather, a pretty simple menu for a lunch.

"Ah, did I disturb your meal?"

I shrank my neck, while the boy smiled timidly.

"If you can wait until I finish work, I'll accompany you to ask Sister Azariya to let you stay at the church......

but it would be about four more hours."

I actually wanted to go to the village and search for the person who could explain this situation to me as

soon as possible, but the feeling that I wanted to avoid having further conversations that were like

treading on thin ice was even greater. Four hours wasn't a short time but when thinking about the

consciousness acceleration function of STL, the time in reality that would elapse would be about an hour

and several minutes.

Also, for a reason I didn't understand, I also felt l ike I wanted to talk with this kind boy a bit more. I nodded

as I said,

"It's fine, I'll wait. I may cause you trouble, but I'll be in your care."

Then, a smile brighter than earlier appeared on the boy's face as he nodded in return.

"I see, then... just sit there for a while. Ah...... I still haven't told you my name."

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"......?"

"Well, since it's not the 'Pan' that can last long, just to be sure."

As he said that, Eugeo's left hand moved while his right hand held the bread up. His index and middle

fingers stretched and aligned neatly with the other folded fingers. With his hand in that shape, he drew a

trace which looked like the alphabets S and C in mid-air.

In front of me, who was watching dumbfounded, his two fingers tapped lightly on the bread which made a

strange metal striking sound and a pale purple translucent rectangle appeared. Its width was about fifteen

centimeters, while the height was about eight centimeters. According to my knowledge, this familiar

looking rectangle, along with the alphabets and Arabic numerals being displayed on it using a simple font

I could understand right away. This was without a doubt, the so-called Status Window.

With my mouth left opened, I thought to myself,

Then it's concluded. This place isn't reality nor the real other world, but the virtual world.

My body felt lightened with relief as soon as that acknowledgement had settled down at the bottom of my

abdomen. Now I'm ninety-nine percent convinced. Really, without this clear evidence, the anxiety wouldeat up my whole body.

While the circumstances about the Dive still remained unknown, in the meantime, I had better get used to

this virtual world and enjoy the situation. First off, I should try opening that window, I stretched two fingers

of my left hand straight.

I imitated what I saw by tracing the S and C shape, fearfully tapping my bread, resulting in a sound

resembling that of a bell's, and a purple window floated up. I brought my face close and gazed at it.

The displayed string of characters were unusually simple. It was just [Durability: 7]. I could easily

understand that it was the endurance value of this bread. As I thought what would happen when the value

reached zero while gazing at the figure; in front of me, Eugeo doubtfully asked,

"Hey, Kirito. Don't tell me this is the first time you have see the sacred arts of Stacia Window?"

When I lifted my face, I saw Eugeo with his head tilted as he held the bread in one hand, his window had

already disappeared. I quickly made a face that looked like 'Don't say something nonsensical like that.'

When I touched the surface of the window, it turned into sparks of light and scattered away, I felt slightly

relieved.

Fortunately, Eugeo didn't show any more doubt and nodded.

"There's still quite a lot of Life left, so there's no need to hurry eating it. But if this was summer, it

wouldn't have this much remaining though."

Perhaps the Life he mentioned is the number displayed next to the item's durability, and the statuswindow displaying those is called Stacia Window. Seeing the action command that called the window

out being declared as sacred arts, Eugeo wouldn't know that was the function of the system, but

acknowledged them as a religious or magical phenomenon.

There're still many things to think about, but better shelve them for now and deal with my near-term

hunger first.

"Then, itadakimasu."

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I brought the bread into my opened mouth as soon as I finished saying that, but the hardness of the bread

caused my eyes to darken. However, I couldn't spit it out either, so I forcefully bit and tore it off. I was

unintentionally impressed by the sense of wobbling teeth in this realistic virtual world.

It was similar or perhaps even harder than the whole grain bread bought by my younger sister, Suguha.

The hungry me operated my jaw to chew the thing which was crunchier than necessary, although its taste

was passable. With some butter, or a slice of cheese...... no, just grilling it a little bit should be much

better, as I thought various ungrateful things, Eugeo, who also frowned while biting the bread, said as he

gave a bitter smile.

"It's not very good, right?"

I hurriedly shook my head.

"N-No, it's not like that."

"It's fine, no need to force yourself. I usually buy them from the Pan shop in the village before leaving, but

as I leave in the early morning they only have the Pan left over from yesterday for sale. At noon, I don't

have enough time to go back to the village either......"

"Heh...... Then it should be better to bring a boxed-lunch from home......"

To my casual words, Eugeo lowered his eyes with the bread in his hand. I shrank my neck unsure if I

blurted something rude, fortunately, he soon lifted up his face and gave a little smile.

"A very longgg time ago...... at noon, there was a person who would bring a boxed-lunch here. But

now......"

The green pupils shook, they were filled with a great sense of loss, in that moment, I forgot that this was

the artificial world as I leaned my body forward.

"That person... what happened......?"

After I asked, Eugeo looked toward the treetop far above his head in silence for a while, then he slowly

moved his lips,

"......My childhood friend. The girl, who was the same age as me...... we were always playing together

from morning until evening since we were young. Even after I was given the Sacred Task, she would still

bring a boxed-lunch here everyday...... But... six years ago...... during my eleventh summer an Integrity

Knight came to our village...... and took her to the capital......"

Integrity Knight. Capital.

Those words of unknown nature were the kind that bore the mark of those who maintained the regularity

and the capital of this world, I stayed silent to encourage him to continue.

"It was...... my fault. On one rest day, we both went to explore the northern cave...... but we got lost on the

way back and ended up on the other side of the Mountain range at the Edge. You know, right? The Dark

Territory where it is written in the Taboo Index not to set our foot on. Although I didn't exit the cave, she

tripped and her palm pressed on the ground outside...... But just because of that... the Integrity Knight

came to the village and tied her up in chains in front of everyone......"

Eugeo crushed the half-eaten bread in his right hand.

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Inside my head, anxiety and curiosity were rapidly expanding. I wanted to log out right now and ask the

person outside to explain the situation, on the other hand, I also wanted to stay inside and continue

chasing after the questions.

After I swallowed the last piece of the bread, I fearfully asked Eugeo,

"Then...... don't you want to go looking for her? At that... capital."

I thought 'Crap,' right after I asked that. As my words pulled out an unexpected reaction from Eugeo.

The light brown haired boy looked at my face absentmindedly for several seconds then soon after, he

whispered 'Unthinkable.'

"......This Rulid village is at the north edge of the northern empire. Going to the capital to the south, even if

we used a fast horse it would still take a week. If we walked, it'll take two days to reach the closest town,

Zakkaria. It's impossible to reach that place even if I leave the village on the dawn of a rest day."

"Then...... just make some proper preparations for a long journey......"

"Hey Kirito... You look similarly aged as me, weren't you given a Sacred Task at the village you live in?

Abandoning the Sacred Task and going out on a travel isn't something we can do, is it?"

"......T-That's true."

While I was nodding, I carefully observed Eugeo's reactions.

It's obvious from the start that this boy isn't just a simple NPC. From his abundance of expressions and

his natural replies, he couldn't be anything but a real human.

But at the same time, his actions seemed to be bound to absolute rules which are more effective than the

law in the real world. Yes, it's similar to how the NPC in VRMMO can't deviate from within their movement

boundary.

Eugeo said he wasn't arrested because he didn't trespass into the area restricted by the Taboo Index.In other words, that Index is the absolute rules which binds him, perhaps it has direct control over

Fluctlight. While I don't know what his Sacred Task..., no, what his occupation is, I couldn't imagine what

job would be more important than the life and death of the girl who was always together with him since

birth.

To confirm it, I carefully selected my words and asked Eugeo, who was drinking from the water canteen,

"Umm, in Eugeo's village, other than Alice-san, is there anyone else who broke the Taboo...... Index and

was taken to the capital?"

Eugeo made rounded eyes again, before wiping his mouth and shaking his head.

"Nope. In the three hundred years history of Rulid, the only time the Integrity Knight ever came to thevillage was six years ago, this is what Garitta-jiisan said."

As he finished his words, he passed me the leather canteen. I received it and pulled off the cork-like plug

after thanking him. I then brought it to my mouth and drank the liquid, which wasn't cold but had a

fragrance, as if it was mixed with lemon and herb. After three gulps, I returned the canteen to Eugeo.

While I wiped my mouth with an innocent look, the insides of my chest were blown by the storm of

surprise for god knew how many times.

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Three hundred years!?

Without the so-called Setting, but instead actually simulating across that long period, then the actual

acceleration of the FLA function should be several hundred times...... or might even reach a thousand

times. In that case, if that rate was applied during my continuous Dive test on the first weekend, how

much time could I actually feel inside? At the same time I shuddered, I felt light goosebumps on my arms,

but I didn't have time to admire that realistic physiological reaction.

As I obtained more information, the mystery seemed even more complex. Is Eugeo actually a human, or

a program? Also, what exactly is the purpose of creating this world

I couldn't know more than this without going to the village Eugeo calls Rulid and making contact with

other people. From there, it'd be great if I could meet people from RATH who know of the situation...... As

I thought so, I somehow managed to smile before saying to Eugeo,

"Thanks for the food. But I'm sorry I took half of your lunch."

"No, don't worry. I'm quite sick of that Pan anyway."

He replied with a very natural smile as he quickly collected the lunch wrapping.

"Then, sorry but just wait for a while. Until I finish my afternoon work."

Eugeo said as he stood up with an agile movement, I then asked,

"Now you mentioned it, Eugeo's work...... the Sacred Task, what is it?"

"Ah, right...... you can't see from over there."

Eugeo smiled again while beckoning me. I tilted my head as I stood up and walked around the trunk of

the great tree behind him.

Then, being struck by another surprise, my mouth was left wide open.

On the trunk of the huge tree, which was as black as a dark night, there was a cut about twenty percent

or more into its diameter around a meter deep. The black wood inside was reminiscent of coal, the

thick layers of the annual tree rings were glossy like metal.

My gaze moved down from the cut, to an axe set against the trunk. Although its simple single-edged

shape wasn't used for battle, the very large axe blade and the long handle were both made from the

same greyish-white material. As I stared at its mysterious radiance, like it was a stainless steel matte

finish, I somehow felt it was carved from a single lump of the raw material.

Eugeo's right hand grabbed the axe by it's handle which was bound with black shiny leather, and

shouldered it. He then walked to the left edge of the one and a half meter cut, spread his legs, lowered

his waist, and tightly clenched his hands on the grip.

The slim body bent, the axe, which was drawn greatly backward, took a moment to gather the momentum

before it sharply tore the air. The blade, which looked heavy, cleanly hit at the center of the cut, Gaan!a

clear high-pitched metallic sound reverberated. No doubt, this is the true nature of the strange sound that

led me here. A wood cutting sound, my baseless intuition was correct.

In front of me, who was observing in admiration, it could be said Eugeo handled his body perfectly, he

repeatedly hit while maintaining the pace and trajectory beyond the accuracy of a machine. Drawing back

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took two seconds, gathering force one second, swinging one second. His chain of actions were so fluent

it was as if the sword skills also existed in this world.

Exactly fifty times at a pace of four seconds each time, the axe continued hitting for two hundred seconds,

and after the final strike, Eugeo pulled the axe out of the deep cut and let out a long breath. He then set

the tool against the trunk and sat on top of the root nearby. The beads of sweat on his forehead were

shining as he caught his breath. While I was watching him, I thought swinging that axe must be more

difficult than I had imagined.

I waited for his breathing to settle before asking,

"So Eugeo's work...... no, Sacred Task is Woodcutter? Is it cutting the trees in this forest?"

Taking a handkerchief out of the pocket of his clothes and wiping his face, Eugeo titled his head slightly

and replied after thinking for a moment,

"Yeah, well... it can be said like that. But the tree concerning the Sacred Task that I have spent seven

years trying to cut down is just this one."

"Ehh?"

"The name of this huge tree is Gigas Cedar in the sacred words. But the elderly in the village call it the

evil tree."

......Sacred words? Giga......Scedar......?

Eugeo gave an understanding smile toward me, who was in doubt, as he pointed straight upward to the

treetop far overhead.

"The reason they call it as such is because it absorbs all of Terraria's blessing from its surrounding

ground. So nothing but moss would live under the branches of this tree, and the trees within range of its

shadow wouldn't grow taller either."

Terraria, while I don't know what that is, it seems my first impression after I saw this tree and the clearing

isn't wrong. I nodded to encourage him to continue.

"The adults in the village want to expand the wheat fields to this forest. But it's futile as long as this tree

still stands. So they want to cut it down, but as expected from the evil tree, its trunk is terribly hard. If a

normal steel axe is used, its blade would break and no longer be usable in just one hit. Because of that,

they spent a large amount of money to order this axe, which was carved from an ancient dragon's bone,

from the capital, and assigned Cutting duty to someone to keep cutting at it here daily. And that would

be me."

I rotated my gaze between Eugeo, who carelessly said it, and the one quarter cut on the great tree.

"......It means, in the past seven years Eugeo spent every day trying to cut this tree, and you only got thisfar in that time?"

This time Eugeo made round eyes and shook his head in surprise.

"No way. If this cut required only seven years, then I'd feel a little more encouraged. Listen, I'm the

seventh generation for this cutting duty. Ever since Rulid was found on this land, for three hundred years,

each generation of the people with cutting duty came here everyday. Perhaps, the progress when I

become a grandfather and pass over the axe to the eighth generation would be......"

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Eugeo used his two hands to make a gap about twenty centimeters wide.

"About this much, I guess."

I couldn't even let my breath out anymore.

In a fantasy type MMO, even though the craftsman and miner production jobs were generally recognized

as jobs which required enduring working single-mindedly, spending a whole life and still unable to cut

down a single tree was just far beyond normal. As this was the artificial world, it must be someone's

intention to place this tree here, although for what purpose, I still had no idea at the moment.

But, anyway, I had an itching feeling like something was crawling down my back.

Partly due to impulse, I said to Eugeo, who stood up and grabbed the axe after he had rested for three

minutes.

"Hey, Eugeo...... could you let me try for a bit?"

"Eh?"

"Um, I took half of your lunch. So I should use my muscle to help with half of your work too, right?"

I felt as if it was my first time offering to help someone to do his work and it was probably so

Eugeo had his mouth slightly opened, but soon after he hesitantly replied,

"Hmm...... well, although there's no rules forbidding someone to help with the Sacred Task...... well, this is

unexpectedly difficult. At first I couldn't even strike at the right place."

"We won't know until we try, right?"

As I grinned, I stretched out my right hand and grabbed the handle of the Dragon Bone Axe which

Eugeo held out while he still had a doubtful expression.

The axe was heavy, despite its looks that it was made out of bone, and weighed down my right hand. I

quickly grabbed the leather grip with both hands and made a small swing to confirm the balance.

Even though I had never used an axe as my main weapon in SAO and ALO, I should be able to hit a

stationary target without any problem. I stood on the left of the deep cut, then mimicked Eugeo's pose by

spreading my legs and slightly lowered my waist.

Eugeo still had a doubtful expression, but at the same time he also looked amused. After I had affirmed

that he was